Voting

Voting is the most basic right that a citizen enjoys in a representative democracy. It is the fundamental act that drives our entire system of government.

So why does Pennsylvania make it so hard to vote?

Our state is one of only 13 that makes citizens vote under old-fashioned rules that date from the time when presidents gave fireside chats on the radio.

In Pennsylvania, you have to travel to a polling place and cast a ballot in person on Election Day (which happens to be a work day and a school day). The only exception? If the state decides you have a good enough excuse for not voting on Election Day and deigns to let you have an absentee ballot.

Otherwise, would-be voters have to squeeze a trip to the polls around everything else in a typical day. For millions of Pennsylvanians, that means getting to the polling place while also commuting to and from their jobs and getting the kids off to school or day care.

And that presumes people are paying enough attention to be registered to vote 30 days in advance.

It's a wonder voter turnout isn't even lower, given the hassle factor.

Other states have decided that voting is important enough to help more people do it. Thirty-three conduct early voting for days or a couple of weeks before an election.

At least 27 automatically allow absentee voting, without an excuse. Three states Colorado, Oregon and Washington conduct all elections by mail.

All have figured out ways to do so while maintaining the integrity of the election system. Several bills to make it easier to vote outside of Election Day were introduced in the last session of the Pennsylvania Legislature. They were promptly shuffled off to committee and were never seen again.

That indifferent response to the logistical difficulties of voting seems to reflect an elitist attitude. It's an attitude that says, "Voting should be hard to do, and if it's too hard for you, tough. Apparently you don't care enough, so we don't want you voting."

It's an attitude that allows those in power to put their interests primarily staying in power above the interests of the citizens they supposedly serve.

While making it easier to vote, Pennsylvania lawmakers should make it easier to register to vote, too.

You wouldn't know it from the way Pennsylvania does things, but computers and a thing called the Internet have made it possible to transact important business without pushing around a lot of paper or making a special trip to a specific place.

Somehow, 21 other states have figured out efficient, secure ways to allow voters to register or update their information online. At least 10 states even allow voters to register on Election Day, and cast a vote that undergoes further checking to guard against fraud.

In Pennsylvania, we take pride in being the cradle of our democracy home of the Declaration of Independence and the greatest governing document in all of human history, the U.S. Constitution.

Pennsylvania was in the vanguard of this country's democratic revolution during the 18th century. Let's be true to that admirable tradition and make it easier to vote in the 21st century.

PennLive.com